Comments about ‘Jordan School District looking toward housing alternatives in wake of bond failure’

Just like in this story, people talk about all the Taj Mahal-type schools Jordan
wanted to build with this bond. But, nobody mentions all the non-teaching
facilities the district was hiding in this - a bus barn, JATC to replace, etc.
Why is that?

Because the district thought (and continues to think)
they have the residents of the district in their pockets - that they never have
had and still don't have limits on how much they spend "on the
children." Trouble is, this wasn't really all for the children. It
was also for the adults who have jobs at the district.

Did I read correctly "that a crucial next step is all of us working
together." Should have been the first step I think. Also I think as part of
this next step a more balanced funding approach should be considered including
impact fees no matter how difficult that might be to digest. Also as I look
around at some of the existing schools especially Middle Schools like Sunset
Ridge, and compare that to schools like West Hills or Joel P Jensen I don't
think the District is going to have an easier time the next time around if it
plans on building schools like resemble corporate office buildings rather than
taxpayer funded institutions of learning. I understand the need and am willing
to pay my share but you have to do a better job convincing me you are going to
be prudent and responsible with these funds and certainly more specific with the
amounts requested with none of this up to $400 + million figure.

Whats sad is that bonds will be getting more expensive in the future. And
Jordan school district is at the point where they are going to have massive
growth over the next 15 years or more. The school district should have done a
better job at informing the public but this is going to cost this district in
the future big bucks when the students are packed into schools so tight they
will have to buy second hand trailers and reduce their hiring standards to
accommodate the growth. The rejection of this bill is without thought and was
fought against by misinformed people.

JSD should look at the bond failure as an opportunity to go back and rethink
school building priorities.

High School can be scheduled to begin
at 6 AM and end at 9 PM. Offer classes similar to how colleges and Universities
do it and stretch the capacity at each High School to double or triple it
already is without overcrowding. Offer bus services at specific times and make
things work. While not ideal, shifting the ninth grade into High School and
sixth into Middle school using a revamped scheduling model should be able to
make all those proposed buildings less needed.

People didn't vote against a bond for new schools they voted against
millions of dollars for covered bus parking, new tennis courts and a bigger
weight room for football players. They voted against buying land at $175,000 an
acre while they sit on property in Bluffdale that they can't even build on.
Most the schools that are over capacity right now have more than 100 kids there
on permits. Stop accepting permits when you reach original building capacity
period and make permits be renewed on a year to year basis. there are so many
things that need to be done before we through half a BILLION dollars at it and
take another bond out in 5 years for the other half billion.

boy some people dont get that most of us work the different times dont help they
make working parents have a harder burden and having kids walking at night time
is nuts. some of the schools dont have air conditioning and having year round
school in heat is asking for kids to stay awake in the heat. the schools ive
been to in the district are very good and well made. to not make the schools is
a very short sighted idea. its the all about me mentality. it makes me want to
warn people not to come here because no one cares about kids education here
anymore. just money. sad

Calling them Taj Mahal type schools is a bit extreme. I have seen schools much
nicer in other parts of the country. For argument's sake, let's say
the Taj Mahal is an overexaggerted comparison. What we are saying is that our
children do not deserve to have nice schools to learn in, even though school age
is the most important part of human development. Why should we not want nice
schools for our children? Much of this money is for more technology in schools
as well, which necessitates that they are built a certain way. Is integrating
technology in to education not something that we should be doing? This is not
the 1950s anymore, the education that students need today has changed, the world
is different, textbooks and paper are not going to cut it anymore! If we do not
invest in education and make it a priority we will far further behind than we
already are.

Time for us to have some separation of church and state. Many states fund
education through their lottery, and ask the public or government to contribute
very little to supplement. I have seen Utah residents lined up to buy powerball
tickets in Malad, dollars upon dollars going out of state instead of being
invested in to our children. Lottery is a choice, no one would be compelled to
buy lotto tickets, but let's get a little creative here if bonds are not
the answer.

Yes, we neglected the children by not approving the bond package, if that is
what we are accused of. But these children need a home to live in. Most of these
homes are worth less than what we owe to the bank. If we are taxed to death,
these children may not have a place to call home and they end up going
elsewhere. I support the forward thinking regarding school upgrades and the
anticipation of future growth. What I did not support was the open blank check
of half a billion dollars they were asking for. School districts have a long
history of mismanagement. When the public wants to know what they have done with
the money, the public is always accused of being anti-children and all that
blaming games liberals use in their arsenal. This whole thing was poorly thought
out. A project specific bond would have been palatable with the public. In this
case, I am not sure that was even suggested as an option. They went for the Hail
Mary play and they lost. Now that they lost, I am accused of neglecting the
children. Riverton is a good place to live.